The invention relates to a belt buckle with fastener fitting for vehicle-fixed mounting comprising a carrier plate fixedly connected to said belt buckle, said carrier plate being connected to said fastener fitting, wherein the carrier plate includes an opening by means of which the carrier plate is mounted rotatably on a pin fixed to the fastener fitting, and wherein a return means is provided which urges the belt buckle relative to the fastener fitting rotationally about the centerline of the pin and rotationally about an axis perpendicular to the centerline of the pin and to the longitudinal axis of the belt buckle into a resting position.
Together with the fastener fitting the belt buckle forms an assembly known in general in the field of vehicle occupant restraint systems. The belt buckle serves to receive an insert tongue shiftingly applied to a seat belt for buckling up a vehicle occupant. The fastener fitting serves to attach the belt buckle fixedly to the vehicle, for example, to a vehicle seat or to the vehicle body. Usually, a wire cable portion is used to connect the belt buckle to the fastener fitting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,534 shows a belt buckle with fastener fitting for vehicle-fixed mounting which comprises a carrier plate fixedly connected to said belt buckle, said carrier plate being connected to said fastener fitting. The carrier plate includes an opening by means of which the carrier plate is mounted rotatably on a pin fixed to the fastener fitting. A helical spring is provided which urges the belt buckle relative to the fastener fitting rotationally about the centerline of the pin and rotationally about an axis perpendicular to the centerline of the pin and to the longitudinal axis of the belt buckle into a resting position. In case a vehicle occupant sits down on the belt buckle, the belt buckle can therefore only give way in two directions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,434 shows a belt buckle with fastener fitting which is mounted to a vehicle seat. A pin is fixed to the fastener fitting and comprises, on its end facing away from the fastener fitting, a ball shaped end. A carrier plate of the belt buckle surrounds by means of a correspondingly shaped recess and a holding part said ball shaped end of the pin, thereby forming a ball-joint. A helical spring is provided, to urge the belt buckle relative to the fastener fitting about the axes of the ball-joint into a resting position.
A belt buckle with fastener fitting, which is fixed to a vehicle seat, is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,087. The belt buckle comprises a carrier plate, which is mounted rotatably on a pin fixed to the fastener fitting. To limit the extent of rotational movement of the carrier plate, a stop means is provided. The stop means consists of a finger portion of the carrier plate which extends into an elongated hole of the fastener fitting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,610 describes a belt buckle which is secured to a vehicle door. The carrier plate of the belt buckle is divided in two parts, a first one being fixed to the vehicle door and a second one being connected to the belt buckle. The first and the second parts of the carrier plate are connected by a hinge. The belt buckle is rotatably mounted to the second part of the carrier plate by means of a pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,010 shows a deflector fitting, rotatably mounted to a fastener fitting. The deflector fitting is connected to fastener fitting by means of a pin and is urged into a resting position by a helical spring.
One requirement on such a belt buckle involves it being, for one thing, movable with respect to the fastener fitting, so that it can either be oriented at any time in a position optimal for the function or it permits being moved from a temporarily unwanted position, and for another, the belt buckle being automatically returned after such a maladjustment into a resting position which is optimal for introducing the insert tongue into the belt buckle.